As we approach the winter, the maintenance jobs increase. Ensuring that the worsening weather doesn’t undo all previous hard work is itself, hard work.

Alongside the main plot is a steep bank which has eroded slightly over the years. Using the rocks and rubble that have been brought down, Alzbeta and I have constructed two terraces along it. The hope is that they will reduce the amount of soil brought down by the rain, preventing it from damaging the plots and anything planted.

We also plan to recycle more of the rocks to create a seating area in the garden. Using the stones will ensure drainage when it rains, as well as keeping costs down and being ecological.

I mentioned before that the plots had been prepared with muck and were waiting to be covered. We’ve since dug the muck into the soil. We looked into what could be planted now, ensuring an early crop next spring. Bulbs such as garlic and onions are able to survive the winter, while legumes like peas and broad beans will help nourish the soil, as well as providing a good crop. Planting legumes is always beneficial to a garden as they return nitrates to the soil, reducing the need for adding them back in using chemical fertilisers. Some plants leech the nitrates from the soil, affecting how well things grow. The plants of things like broad beans are also great for feeding to goats.

We took all of this into account when choosing what to plant. We decided on the following vegetables;

Onion

Garlic

White Radish

Purple Radish

Black Radish

Pink Radish

Broad Beans

Peas

Rocket

Salsify

We also decided to plant flowers on the bank, hopefully, this will help towards reducing erosion. It will also brighten the garden up. Amongst others, we chose Purple Tansy and Red Clover as well as a seed mix specifically designed to attract bees. Attracting bees to the garden will not only help the bees themselves but will also improve the pollination chances of the plants.